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FMI Honors Noddle, AWG&#8217;s Phillips at Midwinter Conference

Jeffrey Noddle, the retiring executive chairman of Minneapolis-based Supervalu, Inc., has received the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Sidney R. Rabb Award for his exceptional service to the community, and involvement in and strong advocacy on behalf of the supermarket industry, and Gary Phillips, retired president and CEO officer of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) in Kansas City, Kan., has garnered the FMI Herbert Hoover Award for his personal and professional excellence in serving the food retail and wholesale industry.

January 25, 2010, 07:00 pm

Jeffrey Noddle, the retiring executive chairman of Minneapolis-based Supervalu, Inc., has received the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Sidney R. Rabb Award for his exceptional service to the community, and involvement in and strong advocacy on behalf of the supermarket industry, and Gary Phillips, retired president and CEO officer of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) in Kansas City, Kan., has garnered the FMI Herbert Hoover Award for his personal and professional excellence in serving the food retail and wholesale industry. The awards were presented at FMI’s Midwinter Executive Conference in Orlando, Fla.

“During his years at the helm, Jeff raised Supervalu’s level of charitable giving to nearly $80 million year,” noted FMI president and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin. “This generosity included in-kind services and employee participation through the company’s ‘Volunteers in Action’ program. He focused Supervau’s efforts in three main areas: fighting hunger, promoting health and nutrition, and serving as a steward of the environment.”

Noddle has also been named an Outstanding Champion in promoting diversity in management by the Network of Executive Women, and has lead helped lead FMI’s efforts to change its strategic direction, including the development of Future Connect, the leadership development conference.

FMI established the Sidney R. Rabb Award in 1977 to honor supermarket industry leaders for outstanding service to the community, consumers and the industry. The award is named for the onetime CEO of the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., who pioneered the consumer- and community-driven role of the supermarket.

Of Phillips, Sarasin said: “Gary embodies the humanitarian ideals this award recognizes. While Gary was busy building his career at AWG, he managed to find time to help his community, including the United Way in Springfield, Mo., where he served as campaign chairman. His work with the Developmental Center of the Ozarks has helped infants, children and adults who are developmentally disabled to lead full and productive lives in the community.”

As well as becoming AWG’s first CFO ever in 1996, Phillips oversaw record-level sales and patronage at the company as its president and CEO. He has also served on the FMI board of directors and as vice chairman of the finance committee from 2007 to 2009.

The Herbert Hoover award was introduced in 1961, inspired by industry and government campaigns that the 31st president of the United States headed to deliver food relief to victims of the Boxer Rebellion, World War I and the Great Depression. Phillips is the 55th person to receive the award.

The FMI Midwinter Executive Conference is an education and networking event that attracts top executives of retail, wholesale and supplier companies representing the full scope of the food and grocery products industry. The conference focuses on the industry’s chief challenges and opportunities.